The Lost Horcrux
by btvs312
Summary: Set in the seventh year. A mysterious girl shows up at Hogwarts. Harry and co. find the remaining horcruxes. I suck at summaries... DracoOC eventually
1. The Intruder

A/N: This story takes place in year seven, but I haven't read The Half-Blood Prince so some things might not be accurate to that story. Pairings will eventually be: Hermione/Ron, Harry/Ginny, Draco/Other. This is my first HP fic so please be nice, R&R to let me know if I should continue. Thanks :)

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It was a warm calm night and the castle and grounds of Hogwarts were quiet and still. Inside the castle all of the students were asleep in their dormitories, tired from the first day feast. All of a sudden a loud crack echoed through the night air and a figure apparated outside of the front gates.

The figure was actually a young girl, about seventeen years of age. Her long hair was jet black and it made a stunning contrast with her porcelain skin. She had wide, bright eyes the color of jade and high cheekbones. The girl was a bit disoriented as she spun to take in her surroundings. Her eyes finally settled on the large gates in front of her, flanked on either side by winged boars. She tentatively reached out a hand and touched the gate; it swung open. She could see the castle high up on the hill so she made her way up the path towards it.

When she reached the front doors she reached out again and knocked lightly. After a few minutes no one had answered so she pressed on the doors and, just like the gates, they swung open easily. She walked inside to find herself in a huge, cavernous room of stone.

"Hello?" she called and her voice echoed through the large room. No one answered so she went to the first set of doors on her right and opened them. Inside was a room much larger than the entrance hall and filled with four long tables running down the length and a fifth across the back. It was completely dark, save for the stars twinkling above. She was so awed by the sight that she didn't hear the footsteps approaching from behind her and she gasped as a strong hand grabbed her elbow and jerked her backwards into the entrance hall.

"What do you think you're doing?" demanded the boy that had grabbed her. He towered over her by almost a foot and his white blond hair fell into his eyes as he glared down at her. He brushed his hair back to reveal intense gray eyes.

"Who are you?" he asked, taking in her strange clothes.

"I'm sorry," the girl started, "I was just…"

"Save it," the tall boy spat at her. He pulled her roughly toward a marble staircase, still gripping her elbow.

"Ow!" yelped and started to protest but the boy removed a wand from inside his long black robes.

"_Silencio_," muttered the boy and the girl's voice disappeared. He continued to drag her up the staircase all the way to a deserted hallway on the second floor. The girl stopped her protests and looked around, taking everything in. They stopped in front of a stone gargoyle.

"Golden Snitch," the boy said to the gargoyle. The girl looked at him as if he was crazy, and then jumped as the gargoyle leapt to the side and the wall split in two. Still shocked, she allowed the boy to pull her through the opening and onto a spiral staircase that was rising from the floor. They rode all the way up and stopped at a polished oak door. The boy knocked and the door opened, and they walked into a strange circular room.

"Professor McGonagall," the boy said to an older woman sitting behind a desk. "I found this girl lurking around the Great Hall. _Finite Incantatem_." He added to release the girl from the Silencing Charm. However, Professor McGonagall was peering at her so strictly from behind her glasses that she chose to remain silent.

"What is your name girl?" McGonagall asked evenly.

"Em-Emily York," the girl answered nervously.

"You're American," McGonagall observed, her voice unchanging. Emily nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Malfoy, that will be all," she said to the boy.

"But Professor…" he began.

"That will be _all_," McGonagall said more firmly.

"Yes Professor," Draco Malfoy nodded, turned on his heel, and left the office. Once she was sure he was out of the spiral staircase Professor McGonagall continued.

"Why are you here?" Her voice softened a little.

"I wasn't lurking, ma'am," Emily blurted quickly. "I knocked on the door but no one answered and then it just opened so I went in but there wasn't anyone around…"

"Calm down, dear," McGonagall instructed. She pulled out her own wand and with a flick a silver tray bearing a teapot and cups appeared. "Have some tea." Emily nodded and sat down in one of the plush red chairs in front of the desk. McGonagall handed her a cup and she sipped the warm liquid.

"How did you get here?" she asked Emily.

"I don't really know, actually. One moment I was in my bedroom… and the next I was outside of the gates out front," Emily finished quietly. McGonagall's eyebrows quirked.

"And where exactly is your bedroom?"

"I, I live just outside of Chicago," Emily replied. Her eyes clouded with emotion at the mention of her home.

"Chicago? Surely you don't mean Chicago in the United States?" McGonagall prodded.

"Yeah, in Illinois." A look of doubt and confusion filled McGonagall's face.

"Do you mean to tell me that you apparated here all the way from the US?" She was inspecting Emily very fixedly now.

"Uh, well, I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I guess so," Emily was equally confused.

"Tell me exactly what happened before you… appeared outside of the gates," McGonagall said. Emily's face darkened as she thought.

"Well I had soccer practice after school today," Emily started sullenly. "Then I went to the mall with some friends, so I didn't get home until after eight. The house was empty when I got there, which was strange because my parents didn't say they were going out. I called for them but no one answered so I went upstairs. Their door was half open, so I went into their room and…" a tear slid down Emily's cheek. Her voice began to quaver. "My mom was lying on the floor. I ran over to her but… it was too late. I ran downstairs to call the police but when I got… into the kitchen… I found my dad." She sniffled and her eyes were brimmed with tears. "He was dead too." She paused for a moment and when she spoke again the resolve had returned to her voice.

"But I didn't understand it – there was no blood, no injuries. I went to grab the phone and that's when I saw something moving in the back yard. I didn't know what to do so I ran, toward the front door. But when I got there it flew open and a hooded man came inside, and another from the back. I ran upstairs and locked myself in my room, and hid in my closet. I heard them banging against the door. I knew the door wouldn't hold much longer so I closed my eyes and I just kept thinking that I wished I was somewhere that those men couldn't get to me. All of a sudden I heard a loud crack and I was sure they had gotten through, but then there was silence. I opened my eyes and I was here."

Professor McGonagall had been listening intently. When Emily had finished she was sure she heard the professor mutter, "It's not possible!" under her breath. She looked up but McGonagall's face was as composed as ever.

"I never called the police!" Emily remembered suddenly. "I was so confused when I got here that I forgot, I have to call them, no one knows…"

"Relax dear," McGonagall interrupted her again. "I'll take care of it. You didn't see either of the men's faces did you?" Emily shook her head sadly. "Do you have any family that you would like me to call?" Again she shook her head.

"My parents had no brothers or sisters, and I never knew my grandparents."

"It's alright. It's late and you've had a long night, why don't you go to bed and we'll sort this all out in the morning."


	2. A Very Unusual Guest

McGonagall led Emily out of the Headmistresses Office and all the way up to the seventh floor. They walked down the empty hallway until they got to a tapestry, then McGonagall turned and walk back the way they had came. She stopped after a few paces and Emily watched as she walked back and forth two more times past the tapestry. Suddenly a door appeared in the wall.

"Here you go, dear," McGonagall told her. Emily knew that there was something magical about this place but she was too exhausted and shocked to question what it was. "Someone will come for you in the morning."

Emily thanked McGonagall and then entered the room. Inside she found a bedroom with a large, four-poster bed in the center. She trudged over to the bed and crawled in. She laid flat on her back staring blankly at the canopy above her. Soon her eyes welled up with tears and sobs wracked through her body until they consumed her and carried her off to sleep.

All of a sudden Emily was back in her kitchen. There was her father lying motionless on the floor, head lolled to one side and his blank eyes staring at her. Even as she heard the front door crash open, Emily couldn't move. Her father's mouth impossibly began to move as he formed a single whispered word, "Run!"

Emily turned and ran for the stairs in the living room. One hooded man had come in through the front door and the other appeared from behind her. She reached the stairs as the men were closing in. Up and up she ran but the stairs continued on above her, so far that she couldn't even see the top. The men were so close now she could hear their ragged breathing. One of them reached out and grabbed her ankle, sending her crashing into the stairs. She began to slide backwards down the stairs and managed to knock down both men in the process. The three tumbled down in a knot and landed on the floor below with a thud.

When Emily opened her eyes she saw that she was now in a small, dark room light by eerie green candles. There were four hooded men in the room, though they seemed to take no notice of her. They were talking but their voices were muffled and she couldn't make out what they were saying.

"You lost her?" one of the men roared suddenly. She had strange feeling that they were talking about her. She couldn't hear their response but she could tell they were pleading desperately to the first, whom she assumed was the leader. He turned slightly and reached his long white fingers into his robes, and Emily could see two red orbs glowing from beneath the hood. The two men edged away from the leader as he withdrew a long wooden wand and pointed it at them. Her heartbeat quickened; she could almost feel the fear in the men. The leader flicked his wand and the men screamed in pain.

Emily's eyes flew open. She calmed down a little as she looked around and realized she was still in the four-poster bed at Hogwarts. _It was just a dream,_ she thought to herself. Sunlight was streaming in through the windows and she climbed out of bed, still fully clothed, to explore the room further. A few minutes later there was a sharp knock at the door.

"Yes?" Emily called and the door swung open. At first she didn't see anyone, but then a small creature became visible on the other side of the bed. It was a strange looking creature with rough brown skin, bulging eyes, and long floppy ears. Emily took a step back when she saw it. The strange creature made her feel uneasy, though his large eyes looked innocent.

"Miss Emily York," it said in a wheezy, nasal voice. "Headmistress wishes to see you, miss. She is sending Dobby to retrieve you." Emily nodded warily and followed Dobby out of the room.

---

"Miss Granger!" Professor McGonagall called out to a girl who was walking toward the Great Hall for breakfast with her two friends. They stopped and watched as McGonagall descended the marble staircase.

"Good morning Professor!" Hermione Granger said cheerily while her friends, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, exchanged looks.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall replied. "Miss Granger, I need to see you in my office, please."

"Of course, Professor," Hermione answered and told her friends she would meet up with them in a few minutes before following McGonagall to the Headmistress's Office.

"We have a very unusual guest with us today," McGonagall started. "Last night a girl was found in the Great Hall. I talked with her and she informed me that two Death Eaters killed her parents yesterday afternoon and then attacked her. She then apparated here to escape them." Hermione's eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped. McGonagall continued, "I've had members of the Order working all night to verify her story and it appears that she was not lying. She has no other family and due to the nature of the attack I have decided that she will be staying here with us for a while.

"As Head Girl, I would like you to show her around and look after for a few days. She was very upset last night and I'm sure she will be this morning." McGonagall paused, trying to find the right words. "This situation is very delicate. Her parents were muggles and it is possible that she does not know that she is a witch, as we have found no known record of her."

"But Professor, how can that be? Shouldn't she have been notified when she was eleven?"

"Yes, she should have been. We are still investigating the situation," McGonagall explained. "However, there is no doubt that she is a witch so this will have to be dealt with. I'll need you to help her become adjusted."

"Of course, Professor," Hermione assured her. There was a knock on the door and when it opened Emily walked in.

"Good morning, Miss York. How are you feeling?" McGonagall addressed her.

"Good morning, Professor. I'm ok, I guess," Emily answered, her eyes still glancing nervously toward her escort.

"Thank you, Dobby," McGonagall dismissed him. He bent so low that the tip of his nose grazed the floor and he backed slowly out of the office.

"Have a seat, Miss York, we have much to discuss. This is Hermione Granger, Hermione, this is Emily," Emily took the seat next to Hermione, glancing at her and smiling before McGonagall started to speak. "As you have noticed, Hogwarts is a very unusual place. It is a school for young witches and wizards." She waited for Emily's reaction. Emily blinked once but didn't seem too affected by the idea of wizards. "It's interesting that you found the place, considering that it is invisible to non-wizards."

"Then how did I… Are you saying I'm a wizard?" Emily asked slowly. The corners of McGonagall's mouth turned up slightly.

"Female wizards are called witches, dear. And yes, that is what I'm saying. You don't seem too surprised by this. Have you heard of wizards before?"

"No, not exactly," Emily told her. "But I've always noticed strange things going on that other people didn't, and I've…" she hesitated. "I've done things - not on purpose, though. I didn't even realize I was doing it. Like one time I was really angry at my boyfriend and we were fighting and all of a sudden my lamp justexploded."

"That's perfectly normal. When young wizards become very emotional their powers become erratic." Emily nodded and after a pause McGonagall continued. "The men who attacked your parents were also wizards."

"Were my parents wizards?" Emily asked. McGonagall shook her head.

"No, they were muggles, er, not wizards."

"Well, why would wizards want to kill my parents?" she asked trying to remain calm.

"We aren't sure yet. There are some things you should know, however." McGonagall broke into a brief lecture on the history and important facts of the wizarding world and Hogwarts to which Hermione was listening intently and Emily was trying to follow.

"There is a state of much discord in the wizarding community right now due to the uprising of a great malevolent force; a powerful dark wizard called Lord Voldemort." Emily was sure she heard several hushed gasps at the mention of the name. "We are on the verge of a war. Voldemort is trying to gain power to take over the wizarding world. He has been growing stronger every day, and it is probably only a matter of time before he begins his attack. Voldemort has many loyal followers called 'Death Eaters', and it is two of these followers that we believe are the men who attacked your parents.

"We have no idea why Voldemort would have any interest in attacking them, nor how he even knew them, but we are looking into it," McGonagall answered before Emily could even ask. "Until we figure that out I believe the best thing would be for you to stay here with us."

"Am I in danger?" Emily asked quickly. Having seen the trouble that was caused when Dumbledore withheld information from Harry, McGonagall decided to tell Emily the truth.

"We don't know," she stated simply. "But it is best to be safe rather than sorry and Hogwarts is the safest place you can be. Now, the most important thing for you to do is to learn how to control and use your powers. You are very far behind other wizards of your age, as wizards being their training at the age of eleven and you are…"

"I'll be seventeen in March, Professor."

"Sixteen, then. So you have five years to make up for. Hermione," she turned to her. "Would you be willing to help tutor Emily?"

"Oh yes!" Hermione's eyes lit up. She loved to tutor people, though they did not usually share the same feelings about having her tutor them. "Harry and Ron would love to help, too."

"Good, I'll leave it to you then to organize. Emily, you'll stay with Hermione today and get to know the school and get yourself adjusted to everything. You will be staying with us for a little while so you can continue to use the Room of Requirement for your bedroom. You should find everything you need in there when you return."

"Thank you, Professor. For everything," Emily said sincerely.

"You're welcome, dear," McGonagall said warmly. Hermione stood and Emily followed suit. They left the office and headed back toward the Room of Requirement.

"So, do you have any questions?" Hermione asked trying to break the awkward silence.

"About a million," Emily answered and Hermione's cheeks flushed a little.

"Of course, that was a dumb question, I'm sorry," she said quickly.

"It's ok," Emily smiled at her. They had reached the room and gone inside.

"Well, first you'll need to change," Hermione told her. She walked to the trunk that was now sitting at the foot of the bed and opened it. "Here, try this on." She handed Emily a black knee-length skirt, white button up shirt, solid black tie, and a long black robe. When Emily had finished dressing she looked pretty much just like any other Hogwarts student. Hermione had also fished out a roll of parchment and a quill from the trunk and handed them to Emily.

"If we hurry we should have enough time for breakfast," Hermione told Emily and led her out of the room.


	3. The Sorting

"This is the Great Hall," Hermione told Emily as she pushed open the huge wooden doors. "We eat all of our meals here. There are four tables, one for each of the houses. The Slytherins sit over there," she explained a hint of disgust evident in her voice. "Then the Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and finally the Gryffindor table is over here."

Emily's eyes scanned the large room as they crossed to the Gryffindor table and immediately rested in the brilliant white-blond head at the opposite side of the room. His head was bent over his plate, hair falling into his eyes, while some brown haired girl yapped incessantly at him.

"Guys, I have someone for you to meet," Hermione addressed her friends and Emily's eyes were torn away. They had reached the Gryffindor table. "This is Emily York. Emily, this is Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Ginny Weasley." Harry looked up at Emily and immediately got an eerie feeling, as if he had seen her before. She caught him staring and he looked back down into his plate sheepishly.

"Hey," she said, trying to sound cheerful.

"You're American!" Ron exclaimed through a mouthful of eggs. "What are you doing here? Don't they have wizard schools in the US?" This earned him a sharp elbow in the side from Hermione.

"I don't know. I just found out I'm a witch," Emily shrugged and at everyone's confused looks she continued to explain everything McGonagall had told her. By the end their expressions were much like Hermione's had been.

"So, obviously Emily has a lot of catching up to do," Hermione broke the awkward silence that was forming. "I've offered to help tutor her and I thought you guys might like to help as well."

"Of course," said Harry quickly. "Anything we can do to help." He looked at Emily sincerely, thinking of his own parents.

"I don't know how much help I can be, but I'll try," Ron said and his cheeks flushed a little. Emily smiled at him and he blushed even more.

"Terrific!" Hermione said. "I was thinking we could start tonight right after dinner."

"But our first quidditch match is tonight!" Ron exclaimed. "You can't miss it – it's against Slytherin!" Hermione sighed audibly.

"What's quidditch?" Emily asked and Ron and Harry launched into an animated speech explaining.

"Yes, but it's one match. Don't you think it's more important that Emily starts to learn to use her powers than see one silly match?" Hermione interjected.

"_Silly_ match? It's against _Slytherin_!" Ron countered and soon the two were bickering heatedly, giving Emily another chance to search out the white-haired boy. When her eyes found him this time she was surprised to be met with his own steely ones staring back at her. The boy's mouth drew into a tight line and Emily smirked at him. He looked away quickly.

---

"Who's the new girl?" Blaise Zabini had noticed Draco staring and followed his gaze across the room to a girl with black hair and stunning green eyes.

"She's the one I found skulking about the Great Hall last night," Draco answered with a scowl.

"She's gorgeous," Blaise said.

"She's a bloody criminal – breaking in here and hanging about." Blaise shrugged and went back to eating his breakfast.

---

"He's hot, isn't he?" Ginny asked from beside Emily and Emily nodded. The others were still arguing over quidditch.

"Who is he?" she glanced back across the room but there was only an empty space at the table where he had been.

"Draco Malfoy," Ginny told her. "The Slytherin prince. His family is very wealthy, probably the richest in all of London. His father's a Death Eater, and one of the most powerful; closest to Voldemort himself." Emily's eyes widened a little.

"Is Draco a Death Eater, too?"

"We aren't sure. He was slated to be one, trained and everything, but he hasn't said anything since he's been back at Hogwarts." Ginny paused and then said, "He's a bloody git either way. Too bad too, 'cause he _is_ damn hot." Emily laughed.

"Oh, we should go!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly. "We're going to be late for Potions." Ron and Harry groaned and they all got up to leave the Great Hall.

---

By the time they reached the Potions classroom in the dungeons just about all of the other students were already there. Harry and Ron took a table near the back while Hermione led Emily to the front of the room where Professor Peabody was arranging things on his desk. Professor Peabody had taken over for Professor Snape after Snape had murdered Dumbledore the previous year.

"Professor Peabody, this is Emily York," Hermione introduced them. "She'll be staying with us for a while. I'm sure Professor McGonagall has informed you."

"Oh, yes. Welcome Miss York. I've added an extra table so there should be a seat for you," Peabody said.

"Thank you, Professor," Emily replied. Hermione led her to the only remaining table near the front of the room.

"Attention students!" Peabody called. "You'll find your ingredients and instructions on the front board. Please collect your ingredients and begin."

"I'll go get our stuff," Hermione told Emily and went to the storage cupboard. Emily had laid out her parchment to begin to take notes when two hands landed roughly on either side of the scroll.

"You're still here," Draco drawled at her with a look of contempt.

"And you're just as smart as you look," Emily countered with a sneer. Draco's eyes narrowed to slits.

"_Why_ are you still here?" His patience was growing thin.

"Professor McGonagall asked me to stay," Emily replied simply.

"Bloody idiot. She's just as bad Dumbledore."

"Well, seeing as how my parents were murdered by _Death Eaters_, who are probably looking for me as well, she couldn't just let me go home," she retorted, putting emphasis on the term 'Death Eaters' to see Draco's reaction. There was the tiniest hint of one, and had she not been looking for it she probably would have missed it. Something flashed just beneath the surface of his eyes but Draco caught himself and covered it expertly.

"So let the Death Eaters come searching for you here? That's a brilliant idea. Now she's putting us all in danger," Draco replied coolly.

"Is there a problem, Mister Malfoy?" Peabody asked. Malfoy shook his head and returned to his seat, throwing one last glare over his shoulder to Emily. She thought about their exchange after Draco left and she realized mentioning Death Eaters may not have been the smartest idea, especially if it turned out Draco was one. However, he already knew her name so even if he was she figured he already would have known what happened to her parents.

---

The rest of the day went by relatively uneventfully. Emily had accompanied Hermione to all of her classes (and there were a lot), been introduced to Professors, and had taken so many notes that she had filled nearly five feet of parchment and her hand was incredibly sore. They just had one class left, Arithmancy, before they were to head back to the Great Hall to meet up with Harry and Ron for dinner.

On the way to the sixth floor classroom, though, something peculiar happened. The two of them were approaching the staircase outside of the Great Hall when the front doors flew open and two serious-looking wizards strode in. Both wore traveling cloaks and were walking at a brisk pace through the entrance hall and up the stairs.

Hermione recognized the first, a tall dark-skinned man, but had never seen the other before. She pulled Emily to the side of the hall as not to be noticed and they watched as the wizards disappeared at the top of the stairs.

"Who were they?" Emily asked in a whisper.

"One was Kingsley Shacklebolt; the other, I have no idea. They're both members of the Order though, that much is clear." She then went on to give a brief description of the Order of the Phoenix, to which she, Harry, and Ron now belonged since they had come of age. It was certainly odd to see members of the Order at Hogwarts unexpectedly, but with Voldemort growing more powerful by the day she didn't give it much thought and she led Emily to the sixth floor.

---

By dinner Emily was starved and exhausted. She couldn't see how Hermione kept such a demanding schedule everyday. She had just dropped onto the bench next to Harry when Professor McGonagall approached her.

"Miss York, may I have a word?" McGonagall asked and Emily grudgingly rose from her seat.

"I know that we discussed you staying with us for a short time, however, in light of some recent developments we believe it would be wise to make your stay more permanent," McGonagall told Emily with a small smile while leading her to the front of the hall. "We would like to extend you an invitation to become a student here at Hogwarts."

"I, well, that would be wonderful!" Emily smiled widely. She had to admit that she had never felt more comfortable and at-home than she had in her day at the school. Everything about the place intrigued her and even though she thought her mind couldn't possibly hold any more information, she couldn't wait to learn more.

"Fantastic," McGonagall relaxed visibly. She had worried that Emily would want to return to her old life, and there was nothing she could do to keep Emily here had she declined the invitation. However, even Emily realized that there was no going back to the way things had been.

"Your parents have left you a considerable inheritance which we have transferred to Gringott's, the wizard bank, for your use. This will help pay your tuition and buy your books and supplies. Since tomorrow is Saturday I have arranged for you to take a trip to Diagon Alley to obtain everything you'll need."

"Thank you so much, for everything," Emily told McGonagall sincerely and resisted the urge to hug her; she didn't quite seem the affectionate type.

"You're more than welcome, dear," McGonagall replied. "There is just one matter left to attend to." They had reached the front of the room where a stool sat bearing a ratty, old hat. McGonagall picked up the hat and motioned for Emily to sit down. The whole student body was now watching her intently. "You must be sorted."

The McGonagall rose her voice to address the students. "Some of you may have noticed that we have had a visitor with us today. It turns out that she will be joining us here at Hogwarts for the current school year." Hushed murmurs spread through the hall. Indeed, many of the students had heard of the new girl from the United States and many rumors had started as to exactly why she was there.

"As you know, all students must be sorted into a house when they begin school, so without further ado…" McGonagall trailed off and placed the Sorting Hat on Emily's head. Emily had assumed that she would continue to go to classes with Hermione and the others, and the idea that she might not had hardly sunk in when a voice began whispering in her ear. Her eyes grew wide and her heartbeat quickened as the Sorting Hat sang to her and she was still trying to make sense of the words when the it shouted it's decision, "_Slytherin_!"


	4. The Slytherin Mudblood

_No,_ her mind screamed as a collective gasp echoed through the hall, and the table farthest to her right began to cheer. Her eyes sought out her new friends whose faces registered a range of emotions, from shock to worry to confusion. She smiled weakly and slid off the stool to face McGonagall.

"Congratulations Miss York," McGonagall said warmly, but her eyes betrayed her words. She was clearly shocked as well and struggling not to confuse Emily. She nodded politely.

"Do I… have to go to the Slytherin table now?" she asked meekly. Professor McGonagall nodded almost apologetically. She took a breath, steeled herself, and threw one last look over her shoulder to her Gryffindor friends as she made her way to the Slytherin table.

Draco Malfoy, being one of the few that knew her story, was glaring daggers at Emily as she approached and she tried to remain poised. She sat down in an empty space directly across from Draco, next to the brunette girl she had seen earlier at breakfast.

"Hi, I'm Pansy!" squealed the girl. She had apparently judged Emily worthy of her attention, being that she was pretty and was now a Slytherin. Two other girls across from Pansy waved and greeted her in unison.

"Hi. I'm Emily York," she said cautiously with a weak smile.

"American?" Pansy wondered excitedly. "This is terrific! What school did you transfer from? Who are your parents? You're hair is gorgeous – where do you get it done?" Pansy shot a barrage of questions at Emily and she nervously ran a hand through her dark tresses, unsure how to respond.

"Pans, can't you see she's overwhelmed. Give her a chance to breathe, why don't you?" Draco Malfoy interjected before Emily could speak. She gave him a questioning look but he brushed it off and returned to his food.

"Of course, Drakie. You're right. I'm sorry," Pansy apologized to Emily, but continued to chat idly about the latest witch fashions and which quidditch players were the cutest and how it was simply unacceptable to go anywhere other than Madam Melania's Salon. Emily ate quickly and tried to block out Pansy's words while still appearing to be paying attention.

---

When dinner was over Professor McGonagall approached the Slytherin table and asked Pansy to show Emily to the Slytherin dormitory where she would, of course, be living. Pansy and the other two girls, whose names Emily learned to be Tracey Davis and Daphne Greengrass, led her out of the Great Hall and down a set of stairs to the left of the bigger marble stairs. Once they were at the bottom they traveled a path through a labyrinth of corridors that Emily was sure she would never remember and finally arrived at a damp, empty stretch of stone wall.

"Pure-blood," Pansy said proudly and a hidden stone door slid open. Emily followed the girls into a long, low room with rough stone walls. The room was filled with a greenish glow from the lamps hanging overhead. There were already some Slytherins lounging in high-backed chairs around the fireplace when they arrived. Pansy led the girls through the common room, though, to a hallway at the back. Two longer hallways branched off on either side, one for the girls and one for the boys, containing a number of smaller rooms.

"This is our dormitory," Pansy said when they had reached the very last room at the end of the hallway. The room was furnished similar to the common room, with rough stone walls and hanging green lamps. Five four-poster beds lined the walls, each covered in luxurious green-and-silver silks comforters with matching pillows and curtains. The only difference was that this room had windows, charmed, of course, to show the Hogwarts grounds, even tough they were far below ground under the lake.

"This bed's yours," Pansy pointed to one at the far end of the room and then flopped down onto her own bed, which was at the prime location to look out of the windows. Tracy and Daphne joined Pansy on her bed to continue their gossiping while Emily stood at the window, trying to accept her new surroundings.

"I think I'm gonna go explore the castle," she told them after a minute, eager to get away from their incessant giggling and squealing. They hardly seemed to notice when she left.

---

She was almost back to the common room when a hand shot out from a shadowy alcove and grabbed her elbow roughly, pulling her into the shadows.

"You don't belong here," hissed a familiar voice. A faint light filled the alcove, radiating from the tip of his wand, and Draco Malfoy's face appeared before her. "I don't know what you're playing at but I know your story, remember? There's _never_ been a mudblood in Slytherin. How did you do it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Emily spat back at him. "I didn't do anything. Do you think I wanted to be placed here?"

"Fine, don't tell. I'll find out anyway," he said ominously. He extinguished the light and turned on his heel.

"Why didn't you say anything at dinner?" Emily asked when Draco was a few feet away, and he froze. He turned his head slightly over his shoulder and his profile was highlighted by the green light.

"My intentions are my own," Draco answered ambiguously and then stalked off toward the dormitory entrance.

Emily stood stunned in the alcove for a moment before gathering herself and following Draco out of the common room. When she reached the hallway, however, Draco had already disappeared so she headed to the staircase that led up to the entrance hall. She didn't know exactly where she was going; Hermione hadn't shown her the Gryffindor common room, and she wasn't even sure she'd be allowed in there now. So instead she decided to go to the library in hopes that Hermione, or someone she knew, would be there.

Emily was in luck. The library was mostly deserted, being that most students were already headed to the quidditch pitch for tonight's game. There was one study table illuminated, however, and Emily quickly recognized the brown curly head bent over a large book.

"Hey," she said as she dropped into the seat opposite Hermione. Hermione's head snapped up and a relieved smile spread across her face.

"Emily, hi!" Emily relaxed with her friendly greeting. She had worried that Hermione might not have even talked to her since she became a Slytherin. "I am so sorry. Is it completely terrible?"

"So far," Emily shrugged. "I've been stuck listening to Pansy, getting stared at in the hallways, and to top it off I was attacked by Malfoy. I think."

"What happened?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure really. First, he kinda stuck up for me at dinner, but then in the common room he dragged me into the shadows and told me that I didn't belong in Slytherin and threatened that he would find out 'what I'm up to'. It was really strange." The corner's of Hermione's mouth dipped a little.

"Well, to be honest you _don't_ belong in Slytherin. It's very strange, actually. I've been researching since after dinner and I haven't found a single case where a muggle-born has been sorted into Slytherin."

"Muggle-born… that's not what he called me. Something about mud, maybe?" Emily bit her lip thoughtfully.

"Mudblood," Hermione said dryly.

"Yeah, that was it. What's it mean?"

"It's a very mean, derogatory term that respectful wizards don't use. It means 'dirty blood'. Some wizards, the Malfoys especially, think that if you aren't born from pure-blood parents you aren't as good as they are."

Emily shrugged, "Well that's just stupid." Hermione nodded in agreement.

"So am I not allowed to talk to you guys anymore, now that I'm a Slytherin?" Emily asked nervously.

"Absolutely not! In fact, I think this is a great opportunity to promote a little inter-house friendship. With the war approaching we need to stand together more now than ever." Emily smiled.

"Good, I don't know what I would do if all I had to talk to were Pansy and her sheep," she said, referring to Tracey and Daphne. "Does that mean I can sit with you at the quidditch match tonight?"

"Of course. We should go actually; the match will start in twenty minutes and Ron will kill us if we aren't there to see every minute." With that Hermione levitated her stack of books back to their appropriate shelves and the two girls headed out to the quidditch pitch.


	5. Fireside Conversation

The stands around the quidditch pitch were almost completely full by the time Hermione and Emily arrived, and it seemed as if everyone was whispering and staring at the pair as they approached. A Slytherin and a Gryffindor together was pretty much unheard of and a Slytherin choosing to sit with the Gryffindor fans was a bold move, indeed.

"Maybe this isn't a good idea," Hermione said nervously, glancing across the stadium at the Slytherins, many of whom appeared to be glaring at Emily and herself. "I don't want to make things more difficult for you than they already will be."

Emily had noticed the glares too, but chose not to let them bother her. "Nonsense. What's the worst they can do? Glare at me and call me names? I've found that people tend to lose interest if you don't give them the satisfaction of being upset."

Hermione regarded the girl next to her for a moment. After all that she'd been through Hermione was amazed that Emily was acting so calm and rational; if it were her parents that had been killed she didn't think she would be able to handle it. Emily was definitely strong, and her stoic, indifferent attitude reminded her blaringly of a certain other Slytherin who was now marching proudly onto the field.

Cheers erupted from the opposite side of the stadium as the Slytherins took their place in the middle of the field, Malfoy at the center. The Gryffindors too emerged from their changing room and, led by Harry, marched to the center of the field to meet the Slytherins. The two captains shook hands and then in a flash everyone was off the ground and speeding to their positions around the pitch.

Emily watched in fascination. She could hardly move her eyes fast enough to take in everything – there were various balls flying in every direction across the pitch, witches and wizards zooming in and out, narrowly missing each other and sometimes slamming into one another on purpose. Ron was excellent, she thought, expertly blocking and dodging and tossing away the quaffle; however, she found her attention being drawn again and again to the two wizards fiercely flying high above the field.

Harry and Draco were engaged in a heated race, one pulling ahead, then the other, rolling and diving and pushing to get to the small golden ball that darted cleverly away from them. All of a sudden the two boys dove dangerously fast toward the ground in the center of the field, reaching unsteadily off their brooms. In an instant both boys were tumbling over each other and crashing hard into the frozen ground. Emily and Hermione were on their feet now along with the rest of the student body.

A hand emerged from the heap of limbs and cloaks holding the snitch triumphantly and as they untangled themselves it turned out that the hand belonged to Harry. He jumped to his feet and spun proudly showing off the snitch to the fans. Malfoy remained on his knees and pounded a fist roughly into the ground, his frustrated screams drowned out by the crowd. As the other Gryffindor players surrounded Harry, Malfoy stood and stalked off the field, followed soon after by the other Slytherins.

"That was amazing!" Emily cried as she and Hermione reached the group of players in the middle of the field. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes danced with excitement. "You were wonderful!" she told Harry, following Hermione's lead and pulling him into a hug. "Both of you!" she added as she embraced Ron as well, whose cheeks, already flushed from the game, grew absolutely crimson.

---

They had all returned to the Gryffindor common room to celebrate, including Emily after a brief debate in which Hermione reminded the resistant Gryffindors that Padma often visited with Parvati, and that as Head Girl it was her job to promote inter-house unity. However, Emily did return (a bit grudgingly) to the Slytherin dormitory before long to go to sleep.

The common room was empty when she arrived except for one lone figure in a high-backed chair, silhouetted by the fire flickering in the hearth. He did not turn when she entered, nor did he make any movement as to show that he was even aware of her presence. He merely sat slumped in the chair, cold eyes glaring into the dying flames. His hair looked golden in the light from the fire and his features appeared softer somehow, unguarded as he was lost in his thoughts.

"Hey," Emily said tentatively as she took the chair next to him. She wasn't sure what provoked her to try to talk to him. Maybe it was his fleeting moment of kindness at dinner earlier, or the sadness that she sensed in his posture. However, as soon as he heard her words his face hardened and any vulnerability she thought she saw disappeared.

"Come to gloat?" Draco asked her wryly.

"No," she said simply. She tried to find the right words not to offend him but he was very difficult to read. "You were amazing out there," she told him sincerely. His eyes flicked to her face and he observed her impassively.

"Not good enough," he stated dully and returned to the fire.

"But you almost had it," Emily encouraged. "I'm sure next time you'll get it."

"No, I won't," Draco snapped sharply. "I've _never_ beat Potter. Not once. And I never will." Emily opened her mouth to respond, but thought better of it and closed her mouth again. A few minutes of awkward silence passed, Emily not knowing what to do and Draco staring dully into the fire.

"Did you really apparate here from the US?" Draco finally broke the silence.

"Why does everyone keep asking that? I thought all wizards could apparate."

"Not halfway across the world, they can't." Draco was looking at her fervently now. "Only the most powerful wizards would ever attempt intercontinental apparition, and you did it without even trying. None of the teachers here could even come close to that. My _father_ couldn't even…" He didn't finish his thought.

Another awkward silence passed. Emily didn't want to upset him again, yet she couldn't bring herself to leave. It was Draco who broke the silence again.

"Do you miss them?" Emily was caught off guard by this.

"Who?" she asked innocently. Draco gave her a look and she understood. "Oh, right. Well, of _course_ I do. I miss them terribly." She paused as tears welled in her eyes. "There's been so much going on though I don't think it's really sunk in yet."

Draco nodded almost imperceptibly, still staring in front of him.

"Draco," Emily began hesitantly, but just then the door to the common room opened and two figures hurried in chatting happily.

"Drakie!" Pansy cooed. "Look what we found!" she held up two bottles of firewhiskey and Blaise held up two more behind her. A smirk curled Draco's lips. "New girl…"

"Emily," she reminded Pansy patiently.

"Right, Emily. You want some?" Pansy was swaying slightly on her feet.

"Oh, uh, thanks but I'm really tired. I think I'm just gonna go to bed," Emily replied. Draco had finally pulled himself out of the chair and was pouring himself a glass of the amber liquid. Pansy shrugged with a half smile and turned to Draco.

"Well, goodnight," Emily said. She looked to Draco, but since Pansy and Blaise arrived he hadn't even acknowledged her. She turned and headed toward her room.

"Oh, Emma, wait!" Pansy hurried over and pulled Emily aside. "Blaise told me he thinks you're really cute," she began in a whisper that Emily was sure both boys could hear, though they made no signs as to show that they had. "And I think you two would make a perfect match! What do you think? Do you want me to talk to him?"

"Oh, I, well," Emily looked at Blaise and blushed. She did think he was attractive, but with everything else going on she hadn't given much thought to boys lately. Luckily she didn't have to answer.

"Pans," Draco called, interrupting Emily.

"Yes, Drakie?" Pansy asked enthusiastically.

"Be a love and get my cloak from my room?" He went back to the chair by the fireplace without so much as a glance toward the girls.

"We'll talk later," she told Emily and hurried down the opposite hall to Draco's room, giving Emily a chance to escape. She smiled suspiciously to herself as she walked to her room.


	6. A Trip to Diagon Alley

A/N: sorry it took so long to update. is the story moving too slowly? r&r and let me know.

---

The next morning Emily ran into Draco on her way out of the Great Hall after breakfast. He was just entering the Great Hall so they met face-to-face in the gap between the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables. She stopped directly in front of him, blocking his path.

"So, that's twice now you've saved me from her," Emily prompted.

"Yeah, so what?" Draco shrugged indifferently.

"So…," Emily drawled. "You don't, like, have a thing for me, do you Malfoy?" She gave him a playful grin and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"You wish." _Was he flirting with her? _Emily just gave him a look and walked past him, intentionally brushing against his shoulder.

"Going somewhere?" Draco asked, turning his head over his right shoulder as he noticed her muggle clothes and jacket. Emily stopped and turned back to face him.

"Yeah, McGonagall's set up a trip for me to get my books and stuff. Wanna come?"

"Be seen in public with Pothead, Weasel, and two mudbloods? No thanks," Draco scoffed. Emily winced inwardly at the word but was determined to appear unaffected. Words only had power if you gave them power. Even Draco chastised himself secretly. He hadn't meant to say it, it just sort of slipped out.

"Suit yourself," she shrugged and went to meet her friends.

"What was that about?" Hermione asked when Emily reached the doors of the Great Hall where she, Ron, and Harry were waiting, throwing a suspicious look at Malfoy's back. Emily simply shrugged again and led the group out of the Great Hall.

---

McGonagall had connected the fireplace in her office to the Floo Network for the trip to Diagon Alley. Ron demonstrated the proper way to use the Floo before Emily tried. She had much more success than Harry had on his first attempt to travel by Floo and all four students ended up safely in the lobby of Gringott's Bank.

Hermione explained to Emily how the bank worked and how Wizard money differed from Muggle money. They had spoken to a goblin at the front desk and were taken, by cart, deep into the levels of vaults below the bank. Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited by the cart as the goblin led Emily to her vault, which contained a large stack of galleons, sickles, and knuts. She gathered as much of the money as Hermione told her that she would need, plus a little extra, into a small leather bag.

From Gringott's Hermione led the group out onto Diagon Alley and first to Flourish & Blotts.

"Ok, you'll need _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 7_; _Guide to_ _Advanced Transfiguration_; and _Self-Defensive Spellwork_. You can borrow my books from the past six years while we get you caught up," Hermione informed Emily.

Emily nodded and set off to find the books. She was on her way to the stairs to the second floor, while studying the list that Hermione had given her, when she literally walked right into a tall man. He had been walking briskly and the force of the impact sent her to the ground along with a stack of books that the man had been carrying.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Emily exclaimed and started to gather the man's books. One book in particular caught her attention. It was very old and dusty, it's pages were yellow and faded. It looked to Emily as though it must have been hidden away somewhere, forgotten for years.

"It's fine. That's not necessary," the man said shortly. He picked up his remaining books and snatched the one that Emily was holding away from her. Once he had all of them he stalked off toward the front door.

"That was rude," Emily said to herself as she stood and brushed herself off.

"Talking to yourself, mudblood?" Emily spun around to find Draco Malfoy standing behind her wearing a trademark smirk.

"How did you get here?" she put her hand on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I have my ways," he said slyly.

"Ok, fine. _What_ are you doing here? I thought you didn't want to be seen in public with a _mudblood_," she teased, emphasizing the word.

"It's not safe outside of Hogwarts these days. If you ask me they're bloody idiots for sending you lot out here without a chaperone." He was staring at a spot behind her shoulder. She turned to see Harry and Ron throwing jelly beans at each other while the other tried to catch them in his mouth. She turned back to Draco with a withering stare.

"Why isn't it safe?" Draco pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Well you've already been attacked once, haven't you? What's to say that they haven't tracked you down again?" Emily looked at him strangely.

"Why would they do that? Professor McGonagall said…"

"Professor McGonagall doesn't know what she's talking about," he said bluntly.

"Oh, so _you_ know more than the headmaster?" she asked doubtfully. Before Draco could respond Emily heard Hermione calling her name and turned around to look for her.

"I've found two of the three books you need," Hermione said walking up to Emily. "And I believe we can find the third upstairs." She handed the two books to Emily.

"Oh, thanks," Emily smiled at Hermione. She turned back around to deal with Draco, only to find that he had disappeared. She stood up on her toes, craned her neck, spun in a circle, but Draco was nowhere to be found.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked as Emily's face drew into a look of confusion and frustration.

"Huh? Oh. Nothing, sorry," she smiled again and went up the stairs to find her third book.

---

After Flourish & Blotts the group went to get gather the rest of Emily's things; more sets of robes and uniforms, a cauldron, a broom, and finally, and most importantly, a wand. As they went from store to store Emily got the eerie feeling that someone was watching her. _Damn Malfoy_, she thought. _He's got me all paranoid now. No one is looking for you…_ She was having trouble convincing herself, though, and more than once had spun around abruptly only to find no one behind her.

Their last stop was Ollivander's. Harry pushed open the door and they all stepped into the dimly lit shop. Mr. Ollivander was nowhere to be seen so Harry went to the counter and rang the bell once. No one answered.

"That's odd," Harry mused, and rang again. This time a harried looking old man with glasses came bustling up to the front counter from somewhere in the shelves behind.

"Sorry, so sorry," Mr. Ollivander said. He appeared to be very twitchy. "Ah, Mr. Potter. Back again? You haven't damaged your wand, have you?" He said the last part a bit nervously in Emily's opinion.

"No, no it's fine," Harry assured him. "We're actually here for our friend, Emily." Emily stepped forward and extended her hand toward Mr. Ollivander, who stared at it curiously. Hermione shook her head knowingly at Emily and she dropped her hand back to her side.

"Nice to meet you," Emily said, still eyeing the man strangely. Something was off about him…

And for a moment he stared back at her equally as strange, but then his face went blank and a smile formed. "Emily, it is nice to meet you too, my dear. Now, let's see…" Mr. Ollivander trotted back into the shelves and returned with a small rectangular box. He opened it and handed the wand inside to Emily. "Give it a swish."

She did, and suddenly there was a flash of sparks and the group dropped to the floor as a green beam of light bounced madly around the room, knocking things over and finally shattering a vase.

"No, that won't do," Mr. Ollivander said and took the wand back, carefully. He returned to the shelves several more times with several more wands, and each had a similar affect. "Interesting…" Mr. Ollivander mused. Then suddenly, as if a light bulb had been turned on inside his head, his face brightened and he hurried to a very back shelf. This time when Emily swished the wand the room was filled with a warm golden glow.

"Very interesting, indeed," Mr. Ollivander said in a low voice so that none of the children heard him. More loudly he told Emily, "That wand is made of alder wood with a hippogriff feather core; twelve and one-quarter inches long." Emily handed Mr. Ollivander the money and thanked him and they headed back to Gringott's to use the Floo and return to Hogwarts.


End file.
